Without a Trace
by Kidara
Summary: Mikey goes missing. Raph, Leo, and Don begin to think the worst. Has Orignal Character.
1. Without a Trace

_Disclaimer: I do not own or make money on TMNT._

_

* * *

_

**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  
Without a Trace**

_One year ago._

Sometimes doing more then one thing at a time just wasn't a good idea. This was one of those times. Michelangelo skidded around a turn in the sewers on his skateboard, desperately trying to keep a hold of the stack of pizzas he was carrying and trying to talk into the shell cell at the same time.

"Don, this definitely isn't a good time, Ill be back at the lair in a few minutes you can tell me then." .

Concentrating on keeping hold of the sliding pizzas he didn't see the crack in the ground till his skateboard suddenly stopped. Only problem was... He didn't stop. There was a strangled curse, as the turtle went sailing through the air. As he did the pizzas and shell cell also went flying. Using his ninja training he was able to twist and land on his feet, and catch the flying food. Straightening up shakily, he looked around for the shell cell. His heart sank as he watched it teeter on the edge of the crack in the floor. Nearly dropping the food he made a grab for the cell phone when it slipped.

He tried sticking his arm down the crack but it was to small an opening for him to get into. There was no getting the shell cell back. He gulped. Donnie would have his shell when he returned.

_Present Day._

The Sun hovered on the horizon, struggling to reclaim its grasp on the sky. But as always it was a losing battle. With a final brilliant splash of color the sun gave up its fight and sank below the horizon. As darkness claimed victory and spread itself across the world, creatures that only move at night began to emerge from hiding. Only the stars that twinkled above bore witness to what went on once the suns light had been extinguished.

In the shadows four shapes moved hurriedly from rooftop to rooftop. As they gracefully leapt and flipped and swung from one shadow to another. Blending in with their surroundings it was hard to tell the were there at all. Until one of the shadows tripped as it was leaping towards another ledge. The darkness was filled with soft laughter as the other three shadows converged on their fallen comrade.

"It wasn't that funny you know." Mikey grumbled as his brothers helped him to his feet.

"Are ya kiddin Mikey? It was hilarious watching ya flip like that." Raphs deep voice still shook slightly with laughter.

Deciding to change topics and keep a fight from brewing, Leo spoke up. "How about a game of ninja tag? Me and Mikey against Raph and Don?"

Three nods came quickly and Raph and Don took off. Leo watched as the other team vanished quickly from sight. "Think that's enough of a headstart?"

"Yeah lets go." Mikey took off at a dead run with Leo right on his heals. He was a little ahead of Leo when he felt his foot sink a little further into the roof of the building below him. Skidding to a halt, he turned to warn his brother to watch out for the weak spots. The words never left his mouth as a bright blue light washed over him. There was a sudden crack that sounded like thunder, then pain washed through his body. He felt the brief sensation of falling, then blackness consumed him.

Leonardo winced as a flash of light nearly blinded him. Blinking several times, he was horrified to find that there was no sign of his youngest brother. Running to search the roof, he nearly tripped over something laying on the roof. Kneeling he picked up a set of nunchucks. Whatever had happened to Mikey, he didn't have his weapons. Tucking them in his belt he stood and reached for his shell cell.

"Don, Raph come in, we have trouble." It only took a few seconds for the rest of his brothers to arrive, but by that time he had been over the whole roof and had found nothing.

"Your saying he just disappeared?" Raphael growled.

"One minute he was there, the next gone. Lets check out the inside of the building." Leos voice while steady and strong still held the worry he felt.

The three brothers searched the entire night. Not leaving anything unturned. The sun fighting its way above the horizon finally forced them to give u their search and return to the sewers.

The following weeks would be spent with the three remaining brothers, their sensei and their human friends utilizing every option they had. But in the end they had to admit defeat. There were no leads. No trace of anything. Their brother had simply vanished.

There were theories of course. But none that could be proved. Each brother faced his own demons. Leonardo blamed himself, though both Raph and Don had said there was nothing he could have done. Donatello worked himself fiercely, using his way with technology to try an explain where his brother had went. And Raph... Raphael handled it the way he usually handled these things. His anger threatened to overwhelm him.

_Elsewhere._

"What the shell happened? Mikey groaned and shook his head as he sat up. Bad Idea. Pain exploded in his head. Gasping he sat back against the wall and tried to take stock of where he was. Running his hand over his belt, he felt for his shell cell and weapons. Both were gone. He couldn't help but think. Great Donnies going to kill me. Hearing a noise he was instantly on his feet and backing against the wall, fading into he shadowy corner.

A door opened and an object was tossed roughly into the room. He vaulted for the door but wasn't fast enough, reaching it, he heard what sounded like heavy bars sliding into place. Turning he made his way to the bundle that had been thrown in. His eyes widened as he realized it was a girl. No older then himself from the look of it. He was even more startled when he noticed she had cats ears and a cats tail. He was taken off guard when she suddenly launched herself off the floor and darted away from him, pressing into the shadows much as he had done not to long before.

"Its ok, im not going to hurt you." Mikey held his arms away from his body, trying to show he wasn't armed. The human-cat merely watched him. "Do you know where we are? What's your name? Mines Michelangelo" More silence. Fine. He turned away from her and searched the room. Looking for other ways out and also for his lost equipotent. He was aware of the mutants eyes following his every step.

Eventually giving up, he moved to sit crosslegged on the floor. The voice when it came was so soft he almost missed it.

"My name is Kat"

* * *

_Authors Note: I realise cat mutants have been done before, but what can i say? I love cats and she suits for what will be coming. Hope you enjoy this new story. Mikey isnt my favorite turtle, but i could totally see this happening to him._


	2. Escape?

_Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or make money off it._

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Escape?**_

Mikey groaned as he was tossed back into the room that had, for all intent and purposes, became his home. Sitting up he sighed and waited for them to return Kat. He had lost track of time a long time ago. In the beginning he had been sure that either he could escape or his brothers would come to his rescue.

His brothers never came. And after two weeks straight of attempting to escape and being punished for it he had given up. As long as he behaved he was mostly left alone. They were fed enough to keep alive, nothing more. Every so often they would perform experiments on him. Sometimes painful, sometimes invasive. Always leaving him wishing he could just die. But even that wasn't an option. He had promised Kat.

His only friend in this hellhole was another mutant named Kat. She had been quiet at first, but eventually she had opened up and told him her story. She had been born in this place. She had known that the building they were in was located deep under the earths surface. She had been trained in a multitude of ways, from technology to fighting techniques. Lately though their captors seemed to have changed tactics. Simply taking her and experimenting on her, much as they did with Mikey.

The heavy metal door opened and Kat was tossed in. Mikey leapt to his feet and caught her, stopping her fall. Shifting he eased her gently to the ground. Kneeling beside his friend he ran his hands over the mutants body searching for wounds. Thankfully there were no new ones.

There was silence for a long time only broken by the loud complaints of his stomach. He sighed knowing they would not be given any food that day.

"You know that stomach of yours could wake the dead." Kat sat up,her ears twitching.

Mikey reached over and tugged her tail gently. "Yeah well not my fault." He grinned as the cat/human jerked her tail out of reach.

_At the Lair_

Splinter sat watching his three sons. Three months had passed since the loss of their youngest brother. He had watched his family change in those months. At first Raphaels anger had nearly torn apart the rest of the family. Frustration and guilt had tore at the other two. No matter what words of wisdom he tried, he had not been able to help them.

After two months had gone by with no clues to what had happened to their brother they had given up. But in giving up, they had drawn closer together. It was now rare that any of them ventured forth alone. And while Splinter was glad of this, he also worried that their dependence on each other would eventually lead to their downfall.

Leonardo glanced up from the book he was reading, to consider his usually hotheaded brother. Raph sat on the battered couch, staring at the various game systems that hadn't been activated in months. "We should go out"

Raphael nodded, resisting the urge to destroy the innocent game systems."Ill go get Donny" Standing he made his way to the lab.

A few minutes later they were leaping from roof top to roof top, always blending into the shadows. They had stopped to catch their breath, when what little light there was died. In the distance there was a deep rumbling explosion. The brothers made their way towards the power transformer, staring in horror at the scene.

A gas tanker had collided with the transformer. Sparks of electricity still sizzled. Fire from the tankers explosion quickly spread towards houses nearby. Leaping into action, the three spent the rest of the night risking their lives to help people away from the fires.

_At the underground Lab_

Mikey blinked as what little light they had vanished. He had just leapt to his feet when Kats hand gripped his, jerking him to a halt. Both listened as distinct thuds and grinding metal was heard. Michelangelo eyes widened as their door swung open. Running over he listened, but heard nothing.

"The doors are held shut by electricity, when it failed it, so did they." Kat was at his side in an instant.

"Well lets not look a gift horse in the mouth." Mikey retorted.

Backup lights soon came on, dimly casting a faint orange light on the walls. Kat quickly took the lead, running her hands over the walls as they moved, she soon found what she searched for. A ventilation shaft. Mikey had to squeeze to get in. Even as thin as he was, his shell was still bulky. His shell made a horrific noise as it scraped the sides of the shaft. Wincing he was glad when the shaft opened up into a room that had walls made of dirt. They were out.

The lights here were even dimmer, so they ran their hands over the walls, searching for a way out. Miky fell forward as the wall suddenly vanished from under his fingers.

"Kat, over here I think I found a tunnel" Mikey started to move forward when Kat grabbed his hand. Raising her own hand she extended one claw and held it poised over his hand. Mikeys eyes widened as he realized what she was going to do.

"Trust me?" Kats eyes bore into his with a deadly serious look. Mikey nodded, catching his breath in a his as her claw suddenly slashed his palm. Tearing off a piece of her already torn shirt, she wiped the blood away and removed a small device that had been hidden under his skin. Dropping it to the floor she hurriedly smashed it. The repeated the procedure on her self.

"Tracking devices? How long have those been there?" Mikey scowled and wrapped the offered cloth around his wounded hand.

"Most likely since you were captured, I remembered them placing mine." She shivered at the memory of the pain that had shot through her hand. "Come on, Lets put some distance between us and this hellhole."

They were soon out of the small cavern and heading down the tunnel. Once out of the cavern, they were engulfed in a darkness so deep, that Mikey waved his hand in front of his eyes and could not see it. Stumbling over protrusions in the ground, they made their way as fast as possible. At one point, Kat wrapped her tail around Mikeys wrist so they wouldn't be separated. They rested then continued their journey, always listening for sounds of pursuit. There was none.

* * *

_Authors Note: Hopefully this is going ok and the characters dont seem too ooc. They have all been through a trying period here and thats bound to change their attitudes. Edited chapted a couple of times due to misspelled words. rolls eyes Apparently the spell checker didnt catch them. Please Review._


	3. Ghosts in the Dark

_Disclaimer: Not making money off of these stories.  
Authors Note: References to the episodes Notes from the Underground, first season of the 2003 cartoon.  
_

* * *

**_Chapter 3: Ghosts in the Dark _**

**_  
_**Kat glanced at her companion, small moss like plants on the walls of the tunnel cast a low green light over the area. He hadn't talked to her in two days. She shook her head slightly, remembering back to the incident that obviously still bothered him. She couldn't figure it out either.

_Kat pounced catching the scurrying creature, turning she held the rat up by the tail. Extending it towards Mikey, she offered it to him. He had looked at her in confusion at first. Then his face had paled and he had backed away so quickly he had tripped. Shrugging she popped the squirming rodent in her mouth. It was food after all. And food was very hard to find. Glancing back at Mikey, she was stunned at the horrified look on his face._

It simply wasn't like Mikey to be so silent. Maybe there was more to it then she knew. Her ears caught a slight noise and she froze, her companion bumping into her back. Searching the near dark, she missed the light that blinked red to green the back to red. Turning to continue on, she was startled when Mikey collapsed against her. She caught him and lowered him to the ground. He was so thin, having only eaten the rare root or other plantlike items they found, that she had no trouble moving him.

They rested there for some time before Mikey felt able to go on. He felt bad for shutting out his friend, yet the sight of the rat disappearing into her mouth... He shivered. He hadn't told her about his family. For one good reason. He missed them. And he felt if he talked about them that any chances of seeing them again would be lost. Forcing a grin, he reached out and tugged Kats tail as it swished past. She caught his eyes and smiled slightly before smacking him with her tail.

_In the lair a few minutes earlier_

Raph, Leo and Don sat around the table in the kitchen, each absorbed in his own breakfast. The food was forgotten however when seconds later warning sirens went off. All of them were on their feet and headed towards the security section of Dons lab. Don beat the others though.

"One of the lower underground security sensors was set off." Tapping a few buttons, he brought up an image on a screen.

"How far underground?" Leos voice came from over his shoulder.

"About three and a half miles." He tapped another button and the screen focused on a furry thing that swished across the screen then was gone. "I think it was just a rodent."

"Why do we even have security sensors that far underground?" Now Raph was peering over his other shoulder.

"I placed them shortly after the incident with Quarry and the other beings that we left in the underground city. Just as a precaution to alert us if they decided to leave the city." Sighing he reset the controls for the sensors and turned back towards the kitchen, his brothers following.

_Back Underground._

Kat was following Mikey, they were moving much slower now, as both of them were feeling the effects of not having eaten in so long. She glanced up just in time to see Mikey slip. His foot slid on something on the ground, and he hit the floor with a sickening crunch. She ran over to him and helped him sit up.

Mikey hissed as he sat up, pain rocketing through his head where he had hit it. He glanced back to see what had tripped him. There laying on the ground was what looked, very much, like a cracked turtle shell. Crawling over to it, he picked it up gingerly. It was a Shell Cell. And not just any shell cell he realized. It was his. The one he had lost over a year ago. Glancing up he saw the crack in the ceiling it had to of fallen through to get here. It was definately too small for them.

Sighing he looked back at the phone and pushed the button to open it. Nothing happened. Figures. After all it had been down here quite some time. Batteries had probably run out. Kat reached out and he handed it to her, She frowned and slid her claws inside it. Jumping when it gave with a small hum, she nearly dropped it. Mikey caught it and ran a thumb over the lightly glowing buttons. He pushed the blue one. It flickered and went out. Then all the lights on it went out. Sighing softly he tucked it in his belt.

_In the Lair once again._

The warning system had went off three more times that day. Now they ignored it, except for Don who was working on trying to figure out what was happening with it. It had just went off again, but this time they held a slightly different sound.

"Better go check on your ghosts again Don" Raph smirked.

Shaking his head, Don touched a few buttons before scowling. Leo noticed and came over to pear over his shoulder. But this time the monitor remained black. "Its not the security system this time. Its the shell cells."

"If it was them wouldn't one or all of ours have gone off?" Leo frowned as his brothers fingers flew over several keyboards.

"Its strange, its coming from a shell cell, but none of ours."

Hope sprang in Leos eyes for a second and he lowered his voice so his sensei and hotheaded brother couldn't hear. "What about Mikeys cell? We never did find it."

The hope died as suddenly as it rose, Don was shaking his head. "No. I would know if it was his. This is almost like one of the old shell cells we used to have. But all of those were used for parts for the new ones. Ill continue to work on it and see if I can tell what's going on. Most likely its just something interfering with their frequencies."

Leo nodded at his brother and moved away. Something was tugging on the edge of his senses, and it was bugging him. He entered the training dojo and slid onto the floor to meditate.


	4. Light at the end of the Tunnel

_Disclaimer: Dont own or make money off of TMNT_

_**Chapter 4: Light at the end of the Tunnel**_

They had paused again, sitting and resting. Kat watched as Mikey once again took the small phone out and held it almost lovingly. She had tried more then once to get him to let her look at it, But he would only shake his head and slip it back into his belt. He wouldn't talk about it, but she knew it held some deep meaning for him. She had only seen the phone once, when she had first opened it. It was strange looking, but even with the little power it had, she was sure she could get it working.

They were moving again, slowly. Mikey glanced at Kat, not noticing the ground change from dirt to cement. The sudden change in footing startled him and he fell forward. Twisting in mid-air he tried to catch himself, catching hold on Kats tail instead. They tumbled down a short shaft, then seemed to hover in the air for a sec before plummeting into the icy water that lay below them.

Kat knew one thing instantly. She hated water. Hated it with a passion. Yet instinct allowed her to keep her head above the water. She saw Mikey near her and made her way to him. He wasn't moving. Worried, she quickly moved to his side. She wrapped her arms around him and tried to stand. Gratefully the water was low enough she could get her feet. She moved them to the ledge and slid Mikey up out of the water. She followed soon after, and began to check him over. As best as she could tell he was simply unconscious. Though he was very cold. She wasn't sure how to warm him up. Her own body was soaking wet and would provide little comfort.She suddenly noticed the shell cell sticking out from his belt. Reaching forward, she hesitated then pulled it free. Looking it over she began to work on the small phone.

_At the Lair._

Still deep in meditation, Leonardo shivered slightly at the vision before his eyes. He could see Michelangelo trip, go flying through the air, and watched as he was submerged. He had a vague image of someone following his brother in. But it was just a shadow. Jerking out of the meditation, Leo leaned forward and brought his knees up. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he dropped his head down onto his knees. Leo sighed, unsure if he should believe his vision or not. Had it simply been brought on by the hope that had risen in him earlier? Debating on what to do, he remained in that position for some time.

_Donnies Lab_

Donatello had run several tests on the equipment. There was nothing wrong with it. So why did the warning sirens keep going off? Debating silently for a moment he then pushed a button bring up the image that had been first caught by the underground camera. Using several filters he lightened the picture. Now he could definitely make out the brown shape seemed to be more of a long tail then a rodent. Blinking he noticed something unusual on the ground in the very back of the image. Zooming in on the image, he caught his breath. A shell cell! Looking it over, he quickly realized it was an older version. Frowning he tried to piece together how one of their phones had come to be down there.

_A year ago and some months...  
__  
Mikey came into the lair carrying the stack of pizzas, he avoided his brothers eyes. Donnie had found it unusual and had pestered Mikey till he told him what had happened to the shell cell. He had been mad at first, but the look of sadness on his brothers face quickly quenched it. He had told his brother that he had planned on making new ones and left it at that. Grinning as Mikeys face transformed to the normal bright face that was his trademark._

_Present day Donnies Lab_

Donnie was on his way out the door to tell his brothers about the shell cell when the alarms went off again. Darting back to the security station, his eyes widened as he saw the orange button on the panel blinking. Silencing the alarm, he raised a shaky finger to the blinking button.

Pressing the button lightly, almost scared he would break it, Donnie whispered."M-Mikey?"

For a minute there was no answer, then so soft he almost missed it."Whose there? Please if someones there we need help" It wasn't Mikeys voice, it was too feminine. HIs heart dropped. Then he heard a sputtering, thinking he was losing the signal he began to trace it. It wasn't far, barely even half a mile away.

"Kat, Where are we?" Mikeys voice, weak and cracking could be heard in the background.

The voice forced Donnie to move, grabbing a handful of items, then he was darting back to press the orange button once again."Stay where you are!. We'll be there shortly." Turning he ran out the door, yelling at the top of his lungs for his brothers.

Leonardo jerked his head up and was on his feet in an instant, heart pounding. Darting out of the room, he and Raph both made it at the same time. Donnie however was already climbing onto the shell cycle. "Donnie where are you going?!"

"No time to explain, get the Sewer Slider and follow me!" Don left, sending the cycle charging out of the lair. The two brothers glanced at each other and quickly went to get the Slider.

_Back with Kat and Mikey_

Kat rolled her eyes as the voice told her not to move. _Really. Where was she going to go? She just hoped she had done the right thing by activating the phone._

"Donnie?" MIkeys voice quivered and he tried to sit up. Groaning in pain he quickly gave up and settled back down.

Kat jumped to her feet, swaying slightly as dizziness clouded her head. It passed quickly and she could hear the roaring of a vehicle approaching. Sliding into an attack stance she moved so she was between the newcomer and her friend. The person on the bike slid to a halt nearby and slid off the red helmet. Her eyes widened as she realized he was the same species as Mikey.

"Its ok, My names Donnie. I think I talked to you a few minutes ago. Im not going to hurt you." Keeping a warily eye on the cat/human, he slid past her and moved to his brothers side. His emotions were torn, He was elated to see his brother alive after so long, but the state he was in, made him very worried. His body looked like it had shrunk, his shell hung on him like a too big jacket. Glancing at the cat mutant he noticed she was in a similar state.

Kat watched quietly as the new turtle ran a check on Mikey. Hearing another noise she growled and slid into another fighting crouch as another vehicle slid into view. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Its ok its just my brothers, they're coming to help" Donnie smiled at her reassuringly. She nodded slightly and the dizziness returned in full force. Groaning softly she barely registered hands catching her as she fell. Donnie felt a connection to the creature, even though he didn't know her. Her loyalty to his brother was obvious, and for that he was eternally grateful. He was just lowering her to the ground when His other two brothers came close enough to see what was going on.

_A few moments earlier with Leo and Raph_

Raphael piloted the sewer slider at full speed through the tunnels, a tracking device on the dash gave the only clue to where his brother had went. Frowning he was a bit angry that Don hadn't explained where they were going. He had been in such a damn hurry.

Leo shifted in his seat, both anxiously and nervously waiting for what was coming. A part of him wished they were there already, and another wanted to turn the other way and run. As the vehicle slid around a turn, a strange sight met their eyes. A human, no a mutant, stood and faced them. She slid into a battle ready stance, which had Raph growling. Leo saw Donnie move to stand next to the girl and put his hand on her shoulder. Next thing they knew he was catching her and laying her down.

Both Leo and Raphs eyes widened at the other figure on the ground, in unison they yelled. "Mikey?!" Both turtles were at their youngest brothers side in a matter of seconds.

Leonardo glanced over to where Donnie was retrieving medical supplies from the sewer slider. "How is he Don?"

"Its hard to tell, both of them look like they've been through alot. We need to get them back to the lair, so I can have proper lighting to see what damage their might be as well as have access to my medical supplies." Donnie motioned his brothers to help him and they soon had Mikey in the sewer slider. But Leo and Raph balked slightly when he went back for the cat mutant.

"How do we know she's not the reason for our brothers current state?" Raphael voiced his worries.

"I trust her. She was ready to fight me when I got here. She was defending Mikey. Even though she knew in her state that she would lose! We can't just leave her here.!" Donnie rarely yelled at his brothers, but in this case, he wasn't going to back down. "Im also pretty sure she fixed the old shell cell enough to contact us. If she hadn't we wouldn't have known they were here, until we ran across their bodies!" Donnie moved to the cat girls side and began to try to lift her on his own, she wasn't that heavy, but it was still awkward. Feeling the weight diminish, he grinned as his brothers helped him slide the girl into the vehicle.

* * *

_Authors Note: I can no longer keep my eyes open, but thought i would go ahead and post it for those that were waiting for it. This chapter is actually one of the longest ive written, though i didnt realise it till a few seconds ago. Thank you for the kind reviews everyone. Hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_Authors Note 2: Im already antisipating how Master Splinter will react to his sons new cat friend. And how she will react towards him. As long as she doesnt eat him..._


	5. Reunion

_Disclaimer: Same as all the others, TMNT is definately not mine. Pouts_

* * *

**_Chapter 5: Reunion._**

It was late at night now, and the lair was finally quiet. Splinter sipped his tea, relishing in the quiet, knowing it could not last. His sons were finally asleep after a day full of surprises. That was why he was still up, trying to put to order in his mind the details of everything that had happened.

First his sons had found their missing brother, and a friend. Splinter still shivered slightly at the thought of the feline human that had been brought into his home. It wasn't that he didn't like her, he didn't know her. But she was a cat. Or at least part cat. And as a rat himself, instinct demanded that he be wary of her. And then there was also the incident earlier.

His son and the cat/human had been brought in unconscious. Donatello had quickly assured them that they would be fine, they just needed rest and food as well as liquids. Splinter had spoken his doubts about the feline, only to back down in startlement at his sons determined response. As they were discussing it though, The cat being had woken with a start. Catching a stunned Raphael off guard, she had kicked forward knocking him down. Leonardo had drawn his katanas and made to go after her, when she slid to a stop at the door of the lair.

He could still remember the shocked and horrified look that had swept her face as she had turned to look at him. Granted he was a rat, but he had no idea why a mutant would look at another the way she had. She had jumped when Leonardo touched her arm, but had allowed him to lead her back to her cot.

They had however not been able to get her to talk, even though Donatello was certain she had talked to him before. She had watched him for some time, before turning her attention to Michelangelo. While he was certain the cat realized they were safe, he got the distinct feeling she was standing guard over his son. Setting aside his tea cup, Splinter settled down in his bed, hoping that the morning would bring some answers.

Raphael sat in his room staring at the door. He wanted nothing other then to be by his brothers side. But Splinter thought it would be best for them all to get some sleep. How could they sleep he wondered. Their brother was back. Raph was still slightly overwhelmed by the feelings inside him. For so long now there had only been sadness and anger. Then within a few minutes time that sadness and anger had been replaced with joy and worry.

He trusted his brainiac brothers diagnosis, but the worry was there none the less. What if Mikey had changed? What if he blamed them for not finding him? What if... Raph growled and slammed his hand down on the bed. Enough what ifs. He would deal with what came.

Leonard smiled softly at the scene before him. Mikey was curled up on his cot, and the cat mutant laid on the cot next to him. Donnie had drooped over his computer desk and was drooling slightly as he snored softly. Leo thought about waking his brother and telling him to go to his room, but he knew from experience if he woke Don, he would not go back to sleep. He sighed softly, happy that his family was whole once again. Staring at the three a for a bit longer, he then turned and made his way to his room. He would sleep better that night then he had in a very long time. His brother was home.

Kat woke early the next morning, She stretched luxuriously, glancing at her surroundings. Normally she was on full alert when she woke, but here... It was different. She didn't feel threatened. She grimaced as yesterdays events came back to her. Now she understood Mikeys reaction to her eating a rat.

She had been so intent on escape, that she hadn't thought about it first. It had been instinct. As she had headed for the door two things caught her attention. First the beings were turtles, and second, she couldn't leave Mikey. She had slid to a halt and turned, and that was when she had seen the rat. She had been stunned to say the least, and when one of the other turtles had called the rat father.. She had been horrified. Not because they called him father. But because of what she knew Mikey had been thinking about when she had eaten the rat in the tunnels.

Getting off the cot, she padded around the lab. She knew it was early, but she was restless. So she moved over to Mikeys side. He had been asleep an awful long time. She grinned and poked him slightly with her tail. Getting no reaction, she moved her tail just under his nose and tickled slightly.

Mikey tossed his head in his sleep, willing the tickling near his nose to go away. When it didn't, he made a grab for the annoying thing. Hearing a low pitched hissing growl brought him fully awake. Sitting up he realized he held Kats tail in his hand. Letting go quickly he stared at the cat mutant that was now glaring at him as she smoothed out the fur on her tail.

"What's the idea of..." Mikeys voice trailed off as he got a good look at where he was. Blinking he took in the familiar lab, the tables and cabinets. Glancing over at the desk with the computers, he was even more surprised to see his brother Don still asleep there. Grinning devilishly, he was off the bed and across the room before Kat could even think of stopping him.

Donatello yelped loudly as his shell hit the ground. One second he had been fast asleep, then next flat on his back. Any anger that he felt was quickly washed away as realized his brother sat on top of him grinning wildly. He sat up, pushing Mikey back, then reached out and drug him forward in a bear hug.

Kat watched from a distance as Mikey tackled his brother. Glancing toward the door she saw the other two brothers coming at a run. They must have heard the startled cry and thump the one called Donatello had made. She watched as they entered, the worry on their faces quickly turning to smiles as Mikey pulled himself free of the bear hug and proceeded to tackle both of his other two brothers at the same time.

Then the rat called Splinter entered. She shivered. Not because she didn't like rats. She wasn't to sure how she felt about that yet. But the whole thing with eating one a few days ago still bugged her slightly. She would have to apologize to Mikey for that soon. She smiled a rare smile as Mikey nearly tackled the rat. He quickly stopped himself and leaned in for a hug instead.

Kat moved quietly to sit on her cot. There was no place in this reunion for her. That thought caught her attention. She didn't belong here. But then she was definitely not going back to the science lab that had been home since birth. What would she do now? Pondering this new thought, she totally missed the fact that Mikey had turned from greeting his family and now faced her.

When Kat didn't respond to his question, Mikey moved to her side. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he felt her jump before looking up at him. "You alright?" Worry floated in his eyes.

Kat nodded. "Was just thinking." She smiled to alleviate the worry, then blushed a deep red as her stomach chose that moment to growl very loudly.

Mikey grinned, He had never seen the cat embarrassed before. "And you used to make fun of my stomach."

Splinter chose that moment to speak up. "Shall we go to the kitchen and make some breakfast?" Splinter smiled as his youngest son grabbed his friends hand and practically pulled her out of the lab and towards the kitchen. It would be an interesting day he thought as he and his other sons moved to follow.

* * *

_Authors Note: This story is going longer then i thought it would, In the beginning it was just a dream, now it seems to have taken on a life of its own. It still is a ways from being completed, but i hope you are enjoying what has been written so far._


	6. Twin Blades of the Phoenix

_Disclaimer: I do not own or make money off of TMNT._

* * *

_**Alternative Chapter 6: Twin Blades of the Phoenix**_

Kat pulled the brush through her light tan hair as she stood before the mirror. Laying down the brush, she pulled her hair back into a pony tail, leaving her bangs to curve down her cheeks in front of her ears. Reaching down she picked up the black baseball cap Mikey had given her and slid on her head, hiding her ears.

April would be arriving soon, and Kat was going to help her clean and organize the antique shop. Glancing back at the mirror she realized her tail was still in plain view. She was slightly confused on what to do with it. Finally deciding she wrapped the tail around her waist, then pulled her teal t-shirt down to cover it. It would take some concentration to not let the tail fall down, but she was confident she could handle it.

Looking back into the mirror one last time, she took in her appearance. She was still slightly skinny, but had gained quite a bit of weight this last week due to Mikeys cooking. Even in its ponytail, her hair hung down to her hips. Her tail and ears, though not seen at the moment, both faded from tan at the base to a chocolate brown, tipped with black. Her gaze met her own in the mirror, blue eyes changing slightly to show a hint of green.

Hearing someone enter the lair, she turned from the mirror and left the room. April was standing in the living room looking around. Upon seeing her though she smiled and motioned towards the door."We should be going before the guys get back from their run. As much as I love them, the antique shop can't handle them helping another time."

Kat and April were soon at 2nd Time Around, moving and dusting shelves and antiques. They chatted away as they worked, and April soon turned the conversation towards Kats background. "Where you born in the lab that Mikey and you escaped from?"

Kat paused then gingerly moved what looked like an ancient genie bottle. "No, I wasnt. But I was taken to the lab, when I was very young."

"They couldn't have run experiments on you the entire time. I mean, your well educated." April blushed slightly,feeling that had come out wrong.

"The experiments didn't start till about 5 months ago. Before that I was a member of the lab staff." Kat kept her responses relatively short. Talking about her past was not her favorite thing to do.

"Why did you work in a lab like that?" April was trying to move a heavy solid wood cabinet, but wasn't getting anywhere fast.

Kat moved to help her push the cabinet to its new location. "It was different back then. LAB stands for Library of Ancient Beginnings. Everyone just called it the lab. Five months ago, the founder decided he needed a small vacation. He left and never returned. Irv Livingston took over the project and changed it. He began capturing people and Mutants and experimenting on them. I was easy prey I guess."

April shook her head sadly and was about to reply when a sword display caught Kats attention. She walked over to the display, Her eyes widened as she took in the emblem of a bird with wings of fire spread wide. Running her fingers over the swords blade, she read the words engraved in the metal, separately they didn't make sense. After getting Aprils OK, she lifted two swords and slid them point first towards each other. Lining up the words on the blades.

_Tempered in Blood  
Born in Brotherhood  
Bound by Honor  
Always Connected  
Fire  
Wind  
Water  
Earth_

After reading this off, Kate looked up at April and whispered,"I spent years searching for these swords. I can't believe they were here."

"You know what these swords are? My father got them, but could never find out anything about them. Ive even had Donatello search."

Kat gingerly set the swords down once again. Then turned towards April." Almost two years ago I was given the task to research swords embedded with the spirit of the Phoenix. An ancient mythical bird of fire. These swords are over 550 years old. The swords name is the Twin Blades of the Phoenix. The Legend is about five warrior brothers. As warriors they were always being sent in different directions, and each worried that they would never be able to find their brothers. So each warrior created a weapon, embedding in it the magic to always find the other weapons if so directed."

Kat paused studying the swords some more before continuing. "Ive only been able to find information on the Twin Blades of the Phoenix. And never their location till now. The other four weapons are simply referred to as Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. I have not been able to locate anything on them at all."

April sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to take it all in. "I think you should have the swords"

Kat immediately shook her head. "They are worth more then I could ever afford, I couldn't take something so precious from you."

April frowned. "They are by far more precious to you then me, If certain weapons are made for certain people, I believe these swords were meant for you." She walked over to the display, removing the swords and sliding them into their leather sheaths. Returning she handed the two weapons to Kat.

Kat took them gingerly, the slid the leather harness onto her back, fixing the swords into place. April smiled and motioned towards the door. "I think its time we get you back. Im certain you would like to practice with those in the turtles training dojo." Kat laughed and followed April outside to her van.

A few hours later, Kat was still testing the capabilities of the swords, but she was quickly running out of energy. Sliding the twin swords into their sheaths, she herself slid to the floor. Breathing deeply, she listened for signs that the guys had returned. There were none. Frowning she got up to go look for them. They should have been back from their run ages ago. There was no one in the lair at all except her.

On the Kitchen table she found a note from Splinter saying that he had left to visit a friend and would be back the next day. Feeling a warmth on her back she glanced back to see, with some shock, that the swords were glowing. Changing from red, to blue, to purple, to orange. Then just as suddenly the warmth faded as did the colors. Eyes wide she took the swords off to examine them, Finding nothing she replaced them. And began to wonder once again where the turtles were.

* * *

_I used to own a Siamese, named Pandora, so Kats cat side is derived from her. _


	7. LAB

_Disclaimer: Wish i did... But i dont own TMNT._

_New Ending for this chapter._

* * *

**_Chapter 7: L.A.B._**

It had taken surprisingly little time for the four brothers to navigate the tunnel they had found Mikey and Kat near a week ago.Of course that was probably due to Raph piloting the sewer slider slightly faster then any of them wanted. Donnie was busily deactivating his cameras and motion sensors as they passed. Mikey was still upset about having left Kat behind.

"I still dont understand why Kat couldn't come along. I mean she should have had a choice in the matter."

"We've been over this Mikey, We don't know what we are going to find down there. And to be completely honest, we don't know Kat all that well yet either." Leonardo glared at Raphael as they hit another giant bump. Was Raph actually trying to make him lose his balance? He quickly tightened his hold on the sewer slider.

"I know her! She would nev-." Mikey was busy yelling and didn't notice the next bump until it nearly catapulted him out of the vehicle. "Yo Raph, Think we could get there in one piece at least?"

Raphael growled, but grudgingly slowed the vehicle so that the bumps weren't so bad. Soon though they had reached a small cavern and could see the wall of the underground building shining in their lights. Raph pulled to the side and turned the sewer slider to face the way they had came, just in case they needed to make a speedy get away.

Donatello was already out and shining a light over the buildings wall, Finding only a very small ventilation shaft. Frowning he went to it and began to inspect it. " Hey Mikey are you sure you came out here? There's no way the rest of us are going to be able to fit in there."

"Yeah we came through there, I remember the horrendous noise my shell made as it scraped the sides. I kept thinking it was going to lead someone to us." Shuddering slightly, he glanced back at the scrapes still slightly visible on his shell.

"Well it looks like we are going to have to make our own entrance. This is going to make a small noise so be ready for company." Donnie pulled a small explosive device from his belt and attached it to the wall some distance from the shaft. Motioning everyone back, he followed his brothers as they bolted behind the sewer slider for cover.

A few seconds later there was a muffled blast, and the entire group held their breaths as the dust settled, revealing a hole big enough for even Raph to fit through. They waited a few more minutes, listening. But there was nothing no sounds of any alerted security or anything.

Leonardo led his brothers forward. "Be on your guard." He stepped into the building, surprised to find it completely dark. "Hey Don, your explosive wouldn't have interfered with the power would it?"

Donnie shook his head, "It had to have been off already."

Mikey followed his brothers as they maneuvered the hallways of the building. He shivered, He really didn't want to be here. But there had been no way he would let his brothers come down here on their own. It was eerie though. The place seemed abandoned. But how could that be? Maybe it was a trap?

The four brothers cautiously entered a large room. As they shined their lights over the contents, they could easily make out a mass of computers. Several large monitors adorned the walls. Mikey reached behind him and flicked the switch on the wall. All of them blinking in astonishment as the lights came on.

"Sorry." Mikey looked slightly embarrassed as three sets of eyes fixed on him.

Donatello quickly moved towards one of the larger computers and turned it on. The computers screen slowly came to life. As they waited for the machine to start up, the other brothers began to explore the room a little more. There was little there, other then the computers. The room seemed to have been totally deserted.

Donnie pushed a button on the computers keyboard and the main monitor on the wall lit up. A logo appeared, a giant silver tree with the letters L.A.B. in large letters under it. The screen shifted then to say the following. "Welcome to the Library of Ancient Beginnings" Raising his eyeridge, Don set about tapping at the keyboard. He was completely surprised when he realized that the system was only protected by a password. One that was infinitely simple to get past.

Having noticed the monitor coming to life, his brothers had gathered behind him, watching over his shoulders. The screen filled with folders all labeled differently. Don clicked on one that said Phil Greenwood, Log Entries.

_Log Entry-Phil Greenwood _

_I have decided that I can no longer put off taking a vacation. I will be leaving tomorrow to head to the surface. Irv Livingston will be in charge in my absence. I really wish there was someone else I could leave control to. I simply do not trust the man. But as he has showed nothing but hard work and dedication to our goals, I can only hope my fears are unfounded. I have tried to talk Katarina into joining me, It would be the first time she had been to the surface since arriving here. But as always shes buried herself in her work. She has been overly excited that she may be nearing the conclusion of her hunt for the Twin Blades of the Phoenixes origins. I retire now to get ready for tomorrow. This will be my last entry until I return._

As Donnie exited and clicked on the next entry, Mikey looked at his brothers. "Katarina? Is that Kat?"

"If it is, And I think it is, It means that she used to be a member of the staff here." Leo started to say more but the next entry had appeared on the screen.

_Log Entry-Phil Greenwood _

_I have returned from my vacation late. I have little to say for myself except that I was enjoying myself, and couldn't bring myself to return so quickly. Now I wish I had. Upon my arrival, it was evident that many changes had occurred while I was gone. The lab is in dire conditions. Apparently Livingston was working for someone else as well, and under their orders began capturing humans and mutants and experimenting on them. I shudder to think of the things the beings were put through. The entire staff have been relieved of duty, and Livingston turned over to the police. Though I know not what they can do with him. My greatest worry is that Kat seems to have disappeared. When I queried Livingston about it, He simply hinted that he had killed her. I refuse to believe that._

"There's one last entry here." Donnie quickly brought it up.

_Log Entry-Phil Greenwood _

_Having finally sorted out everything here, I intend to restart. Hopefully I can find trustworthy scientists to work on the research that we do here. However, before I do that, I am shutting the lab down and returning to the surface. I intend to do my best to find Katarina. She has always been the closest thing to a daughter to me, and I refuse to believe that she is dead._

"That's all there is." Donnie said glancing up at the others. "I find it strange that there's no mention of Kat being a mutant though."

Leo was nodding but his attention was fixed on a reference in one of the earlier log entries. " Don, what can you find out about the Twin Blades of the Phoenix that he mentioned?"

Donnie turned to the computer and began typing quickly. Finding a file labeled PHOENIX he clicked on it to open it. It wouldn't open, so he tried several ways to break into it. None of them worked. Sighing he gave up and turned to his brothers. " It seems to have a very good security system. Removing a disk from his bag, he hurriedly copied the computers database to it. "I think we've learned all we can from here. I suggest we get back to the lair, so I can see if I can use some of my programs to further try getting into it."

Mikey shifted slightly. "Or we could ask Kat to open it."

Leo nodded then motioned towards the door. "Lets go see what else we can find out about this place first."

As one the four brothers left the room. They began to explore the building more fully. Raphael and Leonardo were both on alert, almost expecting an ambush at any moment. Donatello and Michelangelo were both exploring the many different artifacts that seemed to adorn the walls. Many of the items appeared to be centries old.

_At the Lair._

Kat paced the living room endlessly. She was worried, and angry. She knew without a doubt where they had went. She could feel it. She could understand them not taking her though. She was a liability. An unknown factor. She growled and kicked at the couch. She was angry at herself more though. The guys had been gone for hours now, And she was worried that something had happened. She simply couldn't decide if she should follow them or not though.

Stopping as she felt the swords on her back warm up again, she pulled them from their sheaths and watched as they slide through the four colors once again. Sliding them back in their homes, she made up her mind. She was going. There was something wrong and the swords knew it as well as she did. Kat began moving around the lair, collecting the items she would need. Once ready she headed out of the lair.

On the way out she stopped, then turned and made her way to the Shell cycle. She hadn't tried to drive it yet, but how hard could it be? And she needed to get to the lab as fast as possible. Starting the machine up, she pushed on the throttle slightly and screamed as the cycle nearly took off with out her. A few minutes later she had it under control and was on her way.

* * *

_Positive reviewer: My_ _intentions are to have it be more about the turtles... Though the story always sems to be going differently from how i originally wanted it. At the moment, the reviewers are kinda deciding which way the story goes. :P_

_Burakku's Shadow: Ive actually never seen a single episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender So ill have to take your word on the connections lol. But you have my interest perked about Odd Della Robbia... _


	8. Broken Blade

_Disclaimer: Don't own or make money off of TMNT.  
Authors Note: Last chapters ending has changed, so if you havent read it lately, please read at least the end before reading this._

* * *

**Chapter 8: Broken Blade**

Kat winced as she stood back and looked at the wreckage lining the tunnel. Groaning as she took in the red, black and silver bits of scrap metal that used to be the shell cycle, she shook her head. She was as good as dead. Once Raph knew... And if he didn't kill her, Donnie certainly would. Sighing softly she turned and began to run down the tunnel. If her calculations were correct it wasn't that far now.

_With the Turtles._

As the turtles moved from one room to another, Mikey began to hang back. Several times his brothers had been forced to yell at him to hurry up. But he didn't want to go further into the building. Every step he took was in argument with his mind. He had fallen behind once again and was startled when the room his brothers had just went in sealed itself shut. A thick, heavy door slammed shut. Then a cold voice he recognized as Kats came over the intercom system.

_"Security Alert. Unauthorized access detected. Security measures taken."_

Running to the door, he searched for a way to open it. Finally trying to pry it open, he stopped only when his shell cell rang.

"Mikey see if you can get to a security station and override this." Donnies voice sounded tiny over the cells speakers and there was a hissing noise in the background."Once there I will talk you through on how to shut it down. But hurry!"

"Donnie what's that sound in the background?" Mikey frowned trying to place the sound.

"Don't worry about it! Just Go!" It was Leo this time. His order forced Mikey away from the door. Turning he began running down the halls. Many of the doors were labeled and locked shut. The doors that weren't labeled he tried, but could not get them open. Running faster he slid around a corner and passed a door that said SECURITY on its name plate. Sliding to halt he back tracked and began trying to open the door.

_Inside the Security Room_

Kats eyes watered, the stench in the room was horrible. She was tapping hurriedly on the keyboards trying to get the security system under control, and pointedly ignoring the other side of the room. When she had entered the room, it had been a great horror to find the room occupied. Two bodies lay on the floor on the far side of the room.

Tears had begun to fall down her cheeks as she recognized her mentor and friend, Phil Greenwood. The other body belonged to no other then Irv Livingston. The security system had been tampered with, and it had ultimately been the death of the two scientists. Kats ears flattened against her head, determined that the same would not happen with her.

She jumped as she heard pounding on the door. Unable to do anything about it at the moment she ignored it. Flattening her ears further against her hair, trying to tune out the hissing sound of air being removed from the room, she grinned in triumph as the door suddenly slid open, and the computers voice announced over the intercom:

_"Security Measures Overridden"_

As the door slid open, Mikey fell in. Kat rushed to his side and barely managed to pull him all the way in the room before the door slid shut heavily again. She groaned as the air hissed as it left the room once again.

_"Security Alert. Unauthorized access detected. Security measures taken."_

With the three turtles, they grinned in relief as the door slid open. But before they could get up and get to it, it slid shut again. Multiple groans sounded.

"I swear if we get out of here im gonna kill that kid for this" Raph growled huskily, lack of oxygen making his voice hoarse.

"Im sure he's doing what he can, I just wish we knew if he found the room or not." Donnie shifted and moved to sit next to the door.

Leo stood near the door, almost waiting for it to say April Fools and slid open once again. Shaking his head at his own silliness he swayed slightly as it began to get harder to breathe.

_Back with Kat and Mikey_

Mikey gagged from the smell within the room, trying to ignore it he moved over to where Kat tapped furiously at the keyboard in front of her. He could tell from the programs she was running that she was trying to reprogram the security system. Reaching over he turned on a connecting monitor. Raising an eyeridge at one folder he clicked on it.

_**SELF DESTRUCT SYSTEM**  
The self destruct system was created in the event that a situation would affect the surface. In this event, the self destruct system will override and negate all other systems. This is to allow all personnel to be able to escape. Upon activation, the self destruct system will powerup stability columns outside the building to keep the earths surface from caving in as well. After they are activated the building will power up for an implosion. An implosion was required to collapse the building in on its self rather then blowing out with an explosion. Once activated, the self destruct system will take five minutes to power up. WARNING: Once activated, The self destruct system can not be overridden._

"Kat, maybe we should do this?" Mikey hesitated as he asked the question, not sure if five minutes would be enough time to get out.

Kat slid over and read the file that was on his monitor. Frowning slightly she slid back over to her screen and brought up the system. She studied it for a moment before speaking.

"Call your brothers, Tell them to get out of the building as quickly as possible after the doors open." Kat began typing in codes accessing the self destruct program.

Mikey nodded and stepped back, pulling his shell cell out.

"Mikey you had better have good news."Raph practically yelled into the cell phone.

"Shut up and listen closely,"Mikey paused, it wasn't often he talked like that to his brother, even less often that his brother actually obeyed. "In a few seconds the doors are going to open. You will have exactly five minutes to get out of the room and out of the building."

Donnies voice came over the phone next. "Mikey what's going on?" Mikey looked up as Kat raised a hand to get his attention. She was ready to start it. "No time to explain, just get out. And don't come after us, we will be right behind you." Snapping the shell cell shut he hoped his brothers would do as he asked for once.

Kat pushed the button and the doors slid open. The voice once again sounded over the intercom.

_Warning. Self Destruct System has been activated. All personnel evacuate building immediately."_

Making sure Kat was following him, Mikey ran for the door, almost afraid it would shut again. He had made it through and was turning towards the hall that would take them back to the sewer slider when a shrill scream stopped him. Turning, he ran back to where Kat stood next to the door, tears pouring down her cheeks as she tugged fruitlessly at her tail. Glancing at the door Mikey was horrified to realize a good six inches of Kats tail was trapped firmly between the two doors.

_With the three turtles._

"Is he insane?" Donatello shouted as they ran down the hallway. "He doesn't know what an underground explosion like this could do!"

"We don't have time to argue about it Donnie." Leo yelled over his shoulder.

All three turtles slid to a halt as an earpeircing scream drifted through the hallways. The building shuddered around them, as if reminding them it was gathering energy to blow itself apart. Leo was the first one to move, speeding up he led the way out of the building. Coming to a halt next to the sewer slider they turned as one to wait for their brother. Each wanted to voice his concern and wanted to go after Mikey. But they waited as he had asked.

_With Kat and Mikey_

Kat pulled one of the swords from its sheath, sliding it in between the doors she tried to pry them open. Unable to get the leverage she needed, she was glad to give over the sword to Mikey. He threw his weight into it, eyes widening in shock as with a crack and a brilliant flash, the swords blade broke in two. Part of it still stuck in the door.

Both of them stared at the sword in disbelief. Kat groaned inwardly. The sword should not have broken so easily, granted it was over five hundred years old, but still... Staring at the hilt that now lay on the floor she watched as the phoenix emblem on the swords handle flared a bright reddish orange then vanished. Perhaps it was the swords destiny.

Kat closed her eyes, there was only one way to get free now. Sighing softly she pulled the remaining sword from its sheath and handed to Mikey. He stared at it uncertainty at first then with shock as he realized what she wanted him to do with it. Gulping he took the sword and raised it. Bringing it down quickly he felt it slice cleanly through the tail. Wincing at the shrill scream in his ear, he dropped the sword and caught Kat as she passed out. Picking her up, he tried to staunch the flood of blood from her tail, then giving up he turned and ran down the hall.

_The three brothers_

Raphael jumped as the scream rang out once again, growling he started to run back into the building, followed by his brothers. Halting just at the entrance he caught site of Mikey carrying Kat, going to help, he shuddered as he realized both his brother and Kat were covered in blood. Mikey shrugged off his brothers help and settled Kat into the sewer slider.

"We have to get out of here now. The implosion should start with in a few seconds." Mikey jumped into the back of the vehicle and began rummaging for their first aid kit. Leo jumped into the drivers seat and had the vehicle moving as his other two brothers jumped in.

Noticing his brothers worried looks, Mikey smiled slightly."Don't worry none of the blood is mine, and it shouldn't be a very serious wound on her either."

Donnie slid over to Kats side and began to assist his brother in cleaning and bandaging her tail. A deep shuddering noise began to build and the brothers turned to watch as what they could see of the building collapsed in on its self. The structural supports creaking slightly but withstanding the blast and keeping the cavern from collapsing. Following the implosion a cloud of dust followed the turtles rapid retreat, billowing past them it coated the air and everything in it with a fine dust. Causing the four turtles to cough.

Almost an hour later the sewer slider pulled into lair, hovering while its wheels lowered, then settling with a slight hiss to the ground. The brothers quickly unloaded Kat and placed her on the couch. Donnie went to get a wash cloth and a pan of water to clean the dust from the girl while the other three argued over who got to use the shower first.

Don smiled softly as he heard Raph and Leo arguing loudly, then silence as the bathroom door slammed shut. Then the two brothers voices picked up once again, this time yelling at Mikey through a closed door.

* * *

_Authors Note: One Chapter left in this story. After that i will be working on a one shot crossover story with Don. A One shot with Mikey as well. Maybe the other two as well but i dont have plots for that yet._


	9. Different Paths

_Disclaimer: Don't own TMNT._

_Authors Note: As i mentioned this is the last chapter of this story. There will be a sequel. Several other story ideas keep bugging me. I really need more insight into the characters first. So i intend to work on a few oneshots to help with that. _

* * *

**Chapter 9: Different Paths**

Mikey grinned as he watched the sparring taking place before him. Kat had been paired off against Raph, and was doing a great job of holding her own against him. Which seemed to make Raph attack harder and faster. Kat sidestepped one vicious attack and curled her now shorter tail around her foes knee. Tripping him instantly, she let go and danced back out of the way. Raph growled and lunged forward, his moves changing from rushing to calculating.

Mikey turned from their match to watch Leo and Donnie. Each seemed to hold his own and it was difficult to tell who would win that one. Sighing as he waited for his own turn at sparring, he reflected over the past two weeks. It had been very hard to tell Kat he had left her remaining weapon in the building before it had imploded. But she had taken it well. Almost as if she had believed it was the weapons destiny.

She had told them what she knew of the swords past, unlocked all the data on the disk that Donnie had saved, and had in-fact held lengthy conversations with his brainiac brother on whether the lore could be relied on.

He shifted, glancing back at the sparring turtles and cat, then closed his eyes. In the time they had known Kat she had seemed to become as much a part of their family as April and Casey. Yet there was still something missing, he could see it in her eyes. And he knew it was only a matter of time before she left on a journey to find whatever was missing. A hand dropping on his shoulder jarred him out of his thoughts. Kat stood there, motioning towards a grinning Raph. It was his turn.

Two days later found Kat standing on a hillside far from the city. She was still unsure where she was going, or what she was looking for. But the need to go had overpowered her desire to stay with her new family. She had wanted to leave with out long goodbyes, and yet, the turtles had made that impossible. Each had given her gifts, she had felt bad in accepting them at first as she had nothing to give them in return. But it had been quickly obvious that refusing would not be accepted.

Splinter, Leo and Mikey had given her a journal, which harbored a locket inside. The locket had held a picture of all of them. And she still smiled every time she looked at it. She had hugged each of them in turn.

Donnies gift had been practical, a small green updated shell cell. She grinned softly as she remembered the slight blush that had flared when she had kissed his cheek in thanks.

Raphs gift had surprised her the most, and she had protested hard over accepting them. In the end he had made it clear that she would take the gift. Reaching behind her, she slid one of the swords he had given from its sheath on her back. The sun shimmered down its faceted blade. Its hilt wrapped in leathers dyed in the four colors that represented each of the turtles. She gently slid the sword back into its sheath, letting it rest crossway against its twin. Vowing to herself that one day she would return to New York, she turned her back and took off at a sprinting run.

Mikey bounced into the lair, grinning like a fool. It was good to be home, and even better to be with his family. Things in the turtle family had seemed to quickly return to normal. He stopped in the living room, letting his gaze shift over the familiar walls and furniture. It never ceased to astonish him that he was well and truly home. He continued on to the kitchen, where he set down the pizzas he carried.

"Hey everyone! Pizzas Here!"

It seemed to be the magical word, as three turtles and a rat suddenly seemed to appear out of thin air. There was a sudden mad dash for each to get a slice of their favorite. _Duuude_ ran through his mind, before he jumped in, quickly grabbing the last piece of taco pizza.

* * *

_Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and stayed with the story. And i apologize for this chapter being short. I wrote quite a lengthy chapter on my laptop, which my laptop seems to have decided it wanted to keep it. But i think it may have been way to mushy...  
Upcoming: I will be doing a oneshot crossover with Donnie and Knight Rider. Turtle discovers a talking car...  
Will be doing a oneshot with Mikey, relating to bringing home animals...  
Raphs oneshot will deal with him leaving i think, and will be connected to my OC Kat.  
As for Leo... I have no idea yet...  
I also plan to eventually write a sequel to this story. I have a plot forming for that one, whether i want it or not it seems... lol _


End file.
